They may be hormonal and teen movies.
While some might say that the teen genre was invented and perfected in the '2010s carved out its own place in the history of teen movies and even began to diversify the genre towards the end of the decade.
Warm Bodies (2013) -- 6.9/10
The zombie genre entered the teen romance genre when Warm Bodies was released in 2013. The zombie meets romance film follows R, a zombie, as he rescues and falls in love with Julie, a human who is just trying to survive the apocalypse. Instead of R becoming the evil zombie we've come to expect, he ends up becoming more human-like the more time he spends with Julie.
While Warm Bodies might not be thought of as the most popular teen movie to come out of the 2010s, its certainly on its way to cult classic status.
Easy A (2010) -- 7/10
Easy A can best be described as the 2010s version of an '80s John Hughes film. The film centers on Olive Penderghast, a 17-year old girl who ends up lying about losing her virginity after a boring night at home. She ends up turning her lie into an even bigger scheme when she agrees to let unpopular guys lie about hooking up with her in exchange for gifts and money. Olive's experience ends up mirroring the Scarlet Letter which just so happens to be the book her English class is studying.
In addition to being an amazing film, it also helped launch Emma Stone's acting career.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before (2018) -- 7.2/10
Most people would agree that the 2010s weren't exactly the decade for romantic comedies, especially teen ones. All of that changed though when the world was introduced to Lara Jean and Peter Kavinsky when To All The Boys I've Loved Before hit Netflix.
To All The Boys I've Loved Before plays on all the popular romantic comedy tropes we've come to love. From having your crushes revealed to fake dating this teen film definitely nails the genre. The film became a huge hit while the internet fell in love with Peter Kavinsky and Lara Jean.
Booksmart (2019) -- 7.2/10
Booksmart may have shown up late into the decade but its debut was much needed and extremely welcomed in the teen genre. This raunchy female-lead comedy centers around Amy and Molly, two overachievers who decided to cram four years of partying into the night before graduation.
This buddy comedy was groundbreaking for several reasons, including its original take on the coming-of-age film. In addition, it also served as Olivia Wilde's directorial debut and earned a nomination at the 77th Golden Globe awards.
Dope (2015) -- 7.2/10
Dope is an indie coming-of-age film that premiered in 2015 at the Sundance Film Festival. While Dope is billed as a coming-of-age film it really has something for everyone. The film begins when three high-school seniors accidentally end up with backpack fill of stolen Ecstasy after befriending a local dealer.
From drama and romance to an entertaining crime story Dope pushes the envelope on what we've come to expect in teen films. It also stars some amazing talents like Zoe Kravitz and A$AP Rocky.
The Edge Of Seventeen (2016) -- 7.3
Written and directed by Kelly Fremon Craig, The Edge of Seventeen is a coming-of-age film that first premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival before being theatrically released. After her best friend starts dating her older brother, Nadine comes to realize that she's more alone than she thought. Luckily, she befriends another teenager who begins to show her that life might not be as terrible as she thinks it is.
Like the other films on this list, The Edge of Seventeen pushes boundaries in the hopes of telling an authentic high school story. In addition, Hailee Steinfeld, who portrayed Nadine, earned a Golden Globe nomination for the role.
Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010) -- 7.5/10
The 2010s were a decade of blockbuster superhero films and graphic novel film adaptations. And while those films dominated the box office, none of them told as unique of a story as Scott Pilgrim vs. the World did. The film stars Michael Cera and Mary Elizabeth Winstead as two teenagers who fall in love. The only problem is Ramona Flowers is a highly sought after girl and in order to win her heart, Scott Pilgrim must battle her exes.
What really makes this film unique and amazing is its ability to blend film techniques with graphic novel, video game, and comic book narratives.
Love, Simon (2018) -- 7.6/10
For the most part, the teen romance genre has been full of heterosexual love stories but all that began to change when the popular teen novel Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda by Becky Albertailli was optioned into the theatrical film Love, Simon. Like the novel, the book follows Simon Spier as he comes to with his sexuality in the wake of his junior year of high school.
The film was widely praised by critics and even won the GLAAD Media Award for "Oustanding Film - Wide Release." Its popularity also led to a television series spin-off on Hulu.
The Fault In Our Stars (2014) -- 7.7/10
Another young adult novel got a screen adaptation when The Fault In Our Stars hit theaters in the summer of 2014. This star-crossed lovers film tells the story of Hazel Grace and Augustus Waters, two teenagers who meet at a cancer group and end up falling in love.
Much like the Twilight Saga reignited a media phenomenon surrounding vampires, The Fault In Our Stars can be attributed to the growth in tear-jerking teen dramas both in films and in novels.
The Perks Of Being A Wallflower (2012) -- 8/10
Their certainly was a popular trend of adaptations in the 2010s but no one did it better than the young adult drama The Perks of Being a Wallflower. Like the novel, the film centers on the life of Charlie, a depressed teenager who is just trying to survive high school and hopefully make a few friends along the way.
Part of the reason this adaptation was so successful is that Stephen Chobsky not only wrote the novel but he also wrote and directed the film. The film garnered high praise from critics and managed to be nominated for several awards during its run. It even took home a GLAAD Media Award.
